The Unions
by ninja writer 17
Summary: The tale of Kingdom Hearts you all know and love, but with one additional character. Come now and see the origins of Jim the Keyblade Wielder of the ancient past known to us as Union Cross. DISCLAIMER: I originally posted this on another account, but have been locked out of it for reasons I do not understand. I apologize for any confusion, thank you for understanding.
1. Chapter 1

The Unions

A/N: The inspiration to do this came after reviewing every KH game in preparation for KH3, my inspiration was finalized after seeing the final cutscene of KH3 upon beating the game. This is my take on how the plot to Kingdom Hearts would've played out, if there was one extra Keyblade wielder. One who's been to hell and back in every sense of the word, time and time again. We'll be starting out in the timeline of Union Cross. There WILL be spoilers, so please be aware of that.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, I'd make all their games available on the Xbox One!

Chapter 1: The Power of Light

Our story begins with a fairytale. A fairytale that an elderly woman always told her granddaughter.

It went as followed, _"Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light. Then people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light, and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared. But small fragments of light survived, in the hearts of children. With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world we live in now."_

This fairytale was the child's favorite. But, little did either of them know, that it was far more than just fairytale. This is the story of that fairytale. And how it affected the life of one young boy so drastically, that his life would never be the same. And as he walked down the roads of his home town, he suddenly found himself sleepy. Overcome by this, he fell to the floor, before loosing himself to slumber, he heard a voice, _**"Look deep inside your heart. This is where your journey begins."**_

And this, is how the tale begins.

James, or Jim as his friends would call him, found himself encased in a bright light. When he opened his blue eyes, he found himself standing on a large, circular platform with nothing around him in any direction. On the platform, showed the images of five different creatures; A panther, a unicorn, a bear, a fox, and a cobra.

James ran his fingers through his short black hair in confusion, _"Where am I? What is this place?"_

Then, suddenly, a nameless voice echoed through the area, _**"Which Union does your heart belong to?"**_ It asked as the images on the ground rose and levitated in the air. James was baffled. He knew not where he was, or what was happening, and yet. Despite this, he felt no fear. It was as if his heart knew to trust this mysterious voice.

He looked around at the images, studying each one closely. After brief consideration, he walked towards the image of the fox. The image shrank and slowly guided itself into James' heart.

Suddenly, the platform began to get enveloped by dark shadows that crept ever closer to James. He wanted to escape, but they were approaching him from all directions. In seconds, the entire platform was nothing but pitch black. The darkness then encased James in a sphere.

After a few moments, a light began to shine from inside the sphere. The light grew in size and power as it banished all the darkness away, leaving James with a new weapon in his right hand. After a quick examination, he assumed it was a type of sword.

The blade was a typical metallic gray, but the hand-guard was purple and had an odd shape to it. Attached to the bottom of it, was a short chain that had a gold star charm at the end of it. On the side of the blade that faces him, it had a design similar to the star charm, with a tiny triangle on the other side of that part of the blade.

James raised his eyebrow at the weapon, "It almost looks like a... some kind of... key or something."

Just then, the voice spoke again, _**"The Keyblade holds the power of light- the power to drive away the darkness."**_ Suddenly, a strange light began to form on the tip of, what apparently was, the Keyblade, and encased James, and everything else in a blinding light.

James found himself back in the streets of Daybreak Town. He looked himself over, his black wrist-bands gripped his arms as he padded his blue flex-jeans and his yellow sleeveless vest-like shirt. He sighed in relief upon learning he was fine, "That was the weirdest dream I've ever had, and will likely not be topped by any dreams I may have in the future." He said to himself. He was about to take a few steps forward, but he was halted when he saw a shadow move through the ground and manipulate itself into a strange form that had golden eyes.

It took one look at James and leapt up at him, he raised his arms to shield himself, and was astonished to see that the same weapon-the Keyblade- from his dream, had materialized into his hand. The creature was repelled by this weapon and took a wary position as it stared down James.

He didn't understand what was going on, but he knew one thing for certain, "I need to fight my way through!" He charges toward the monster and slays it in a single swing.

Before he can celebrate, he finds himself surrounded by five of the same creatures. The Keyblade was glowing at the tip of the blade, this encouraged James to point the tip at the sky. Suddenly, all the monsters were each struck down by a bolt of lightning. James let out a breath of relief as he looked at the blade in his hands, "This thing is amazing." His head jerked to the left when he saw another strange creature, this one was cat-like, except it walked on two legs and had a bag wrapped around his neck and a cape.

The creature was about as tall as James' torso. It looked up at him and spoke with its high-pitched voice, "Pretty scary stuff, huh? But you get an A for effort." It told him. James eyed the creature cautiously. With all the strange surprises he's had today, he didn't know what to make of anything. The creature tilted his head, "You look a little confused. Here's what's going on." It paused for a moment, "Your pursuit of light made you the perfect candidate for a Keyblade wielder." It then pointed to the spot where one of the shadow creatures stood before getting struck down, "Darkness is spreading and it's up to you to use the weapon to get rid of it, collect light, and in turn save the world."

James took a step back, "What? Keyblade, light, darkness? What are you talking about? Do you know what those things were that attacked me?" He asked.

It nodded, "The monster that was just defeated belongs to the darkness and is called a Heartless. These Heartless scour the world searching for hearts, spreading darkness as they go."

James' eyes widened at hearing this, "Searching for hearts? What happens to a person if they find one?"

The creature's head lowers, "Their heart is consumed by darkness and lost. The body that remains is corrupted, and becomes a Heartless." It then looked back up at James, "But the Keyblade is an effective weapon against them."

The creature paused for a brief moment, "I hope all this is sinking in..."

James nodded, "Uh... kind of... so, the Heartless work for this... darkness, and my-uh- Keyblade? Is the only thing that can stop them?"

It nodded, "That's the bare-bones of it, yes." It tells him cheerfully, "Anyway, I was assigned by a certain someone to watch over a new Keyblade wielder-you!"

James nodded, "Alright. Well it's good to meet you. I'm James, but everyone calls me Jim." He says as he extends his left hand to the creature.

It offers its paw, "I'm Chirithy." He said as they shook hand and paw, "I'll be supporting you the whole way, teaching you everything you need to know and more."

James smiled, "Good, because I've got, like, a million and one questions. Starting with this thing!" He says, holding up the Keyblade.

Chirithy nods his head upward, "That's your Keyblade. It was chosen by your heart, so only you, or someone you deem worthy of it, may wield it. You also get to decide its name."

James examined it and hummed for a few seconds, "Starlight. It'll be called Starlight."

Chirithy looks James square in the eyes, "Right now, that Keyblade is just like you-it has room to grow. To unleash its true power, you'll need to have unwavering trust in the light that lives inside your heart."

James nods slowly, "How do I do that?" He asks.

"By believing." Chirithy replies, "Whatever it is that drives you to do what you do. The thing that makes you strong. The thing that made you worthy of the Keyblade." Chirithy saw the look of utter confusion on James' face and shook his head, "You may not know exactly what it is now, but in time, you will. And when you do, you'll tap into a level of power you never knew could exist."

James' eyes widened, "Whoa now! Let's just settle for the power to fight the Heartless for now. We can blow up my imagination some other time." He says with a chuckle.

Chirithy lets out a laugh as well, "Good idea." He tells his new friend, "Anyway, that's a lot to take in, so why don't you use the Heartless here for some practice?" As soon as Chirithy finished that sentence, more Heartless appeared throughout the town.

James smirked, "Why not?" He says as he holds his Keyblade ready to fight, "Bring it on!"

After fighting his way through thirty-six Heartless. Five of them were wearing a few pieces of knight-like armor. But that didn't help them. James quickly became accustomed to his Keyblade and the powers they granted him.

Upon his victory over the Heartless, a massive portal appeared in front of him. Out from it, walked out a tall, elegant woman wearing white robes, her face disguised by a fox mask, with the mask's ears sticking out through the pink shoal she wore over her head.

She looked at James and spoke calmly, "You've managed to tap into the Keyblade. Lesser Heartless won't stand a chance." James wanted to speak, to thank her for her praises, but she had an aura about her that kept him silent. "But," she continues, "in order to defeat stronger foes..."

Suddenly, a massive humanoid Heartless appeared behind James. Though initially startled, he immediately took his combat stance, ready to fight.

As if she's ignoring the monster, she continues, "You must combine your strength with those who share your purpose and aspirations." Then, six people charged onto the scene, surrounding the strange woman, each one drawing a Keyblade of their own (A/N: In this fanfic, only my character using the Starlight. Hopefully, it'll make more sense as to why in future volumes).

The woman spoke again, "Your friends will become your power."

James and the six other wielders prepared to face off with the Heartless. It slammed its fist into the ground, generating a shockwave that knocked the entire group over. A pool of darkness formed around the giant fist, causing three shadow Heartless to appear. James got to his feet, "I'll hold off the small fry. You guys slow down that big one!" They nod and charge past him.

James quickly begins to fight the three smaller Heartless before they can stop his new allies, who struck at its hands. After a brief skirmish, the large Heartless began to fire large orbs at the group. James looks at one of the girls in the group, "You, come with me. The rest of you, cover us!" The five other wielders blocked and deflected the orbs, sending two of them to the Heartless' legs, causing it to topple over. James grabbed the girl's arm, "Give him a headache!" He says as he launches her into the air. She performs a few summersaults before striking the Heartless square on the head, causing it to cry out in pain. James leapt towards the monster, and with a mighty shout, he cleaved the Heartless in two. The seven wielders all celebrated with one another as the beast evaporated.

They all then turned to face the woman again. She spoke with more emotion in her voice this time, "There are others who collect the light, but not all of them share the same goal of bringing peace to the world." The group gasped quietly and exchanged looks amongst each other before she continued, "You must discover who amongst us walks the path of darkness." James and the others nod before the woman disappears into another large portal.

The six wielders soon said their goodbyes to James and each other and all went their own paths. James turned around to see Chirithy walking up to him, "I know this is overwhelming, but darkness waits for no one!" He says, "In fact, it's found its way to a bunch of other worlds, which need your help."

James gaped at this, "Other worlds!? How the heck am I supposed to reach them?" He asks.

Chirithy bounces, "I know a way to these places. Are you ready?"

James had to seriously ponder this question. Was he ready? All of this was happening just way too fast. He collapses to the ground, has a crazy dream, and suddenly he's fighting some kind of war against monsters called Heartless. And now he's learned that he has to travel to other worlds!

"_But still..."_ He thought to himself, _"These Heartless are dangerous, that much is obvious. And if there really are people in danger, then I have to help. That's part of what this Keyblade thing is all about, right?"_ James nods, "I'm ready. How do I get to this other world?"

Chirithy walked up and pointed at Starlight, "Just hold out your Keyblade and use it to open a gate that'll take you to where your heart wants you to go." James turns around and holds out his Keyblade and concentrates. The Keyblade begins to glow, and shoots a beam of light that expands into the same kind of portal that the woman came out of. Taking a deep breath, James walks into the portal. As James left, Chirithy said, "May your heart be your guiding key."

(A/N: That's it for this chapter! This saga, as a whole, is going to dwarf everything I've ever wrote in both length, and depth. I'll try to keep weekly updates, but I can't promise anything. I'm a college student, so my schedule can be fickle. Again, I do apologize for any confusion. At one point I was locked out of this account, so I decided to make a new account to post this new story. In an ironic twist of fate, I am now locked out of that account, but can clearly get back on this one. Please leave a Review if you like this and be sure to favorite and follow if you wanna see more as soon as it comes up.)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Dwarf Woodlands

James finds himself in a forest road with nothing but trees and bushes around, "Well this isn't all that bad. But I wish I knew where I was."

Before he could get an answer for himself, he was attacked by a Heartless that vaguely resembled the shadow, except it wore baggy green clothes and had an obnoxiously large nose. James stared at it for a moment, "Well that's certainly... a thing." He then summoned his Keyblade, Starlight, "But it won't be for long!" After defeating it, and a few other shadows, he crosses a bridge and soon finds himself in large field of flowers.

Upon reaching the flowers, four shadows surrounded him. James dropped to his battle stance, "These things really don't quit." He said before quickly defeating them.

Once he defeats them, he sees a short man wearing a red button up shirt and belt with brown trousers. On the man's head, was a simple brown cap that would be found in a mediaeval village. His beard was short, thin, and white with a pair of glasses resting on his nose. The short man looked at Jim with surprise, "Why, why, who are you?" He asks, "I was standin' right over there, and I saw you use that key of yours to get rid of those teachers-uh, creatures."

James holds up Starlight, "Have those monsters been causing trouble lately?"

The man hangs his head, "They've been nothin' but bubbles-uh-uh troubles." He then jolts himself back upright, "Oh, dear, I haven't introduced myself! I'm Doc."

James smiles, "Name's James, but you can call me Jim."

Doc nods, "Me and my friends smirk in the twine-uh, work in the mine." He tells James, "Today was just a plain ol' day until those-those monsters sprung up outta nowhere. We all ran out to chase 'em away, but no one's come back."

James' eyes widened, "You guys got separated?" He asks.

Doc nods, "Oh, where could they have gone?"

James grips his Keyblade tighter, "Don't worry. I'll find them for you." He tells him.

Doc smiles at the Keyblade wielder, "I should thank my muddy jars-uh, lucky stars you showed up! I didn't know what to do. I was sure I was done for!"

James smiles back, "No worries. We'll find your friends. Just leave the Heartless to me." Doc nods and guides James through the woodland.

Doc leads James through, what he called, the Dark Forest. Doc pointed down along the path, "The mine's through the forest. We can't be too careful with those pesky monsters around!" He says.

James nods, "Don't worry. When a fight break outs, get behind me and take cover. I'll deal with the Heartless."

Doc looks behind him towards James and smiles, "I sure feel safe with you here, Jim."

James smiles back, "Anytime." James' comment, however, was made too true when a tall, armored Heartless appeared. It had sword blades where its hands would be. James entered his battle stance, "Speak of the devil!" He says as he charges.

The Heartless swings its blades horizontally toward James. He slides underneath them and performs an upward vertical slash to parry before smashing it a few feet away. He then pointed the tip of his Keyblade at the Heartless, "Fire!" He shouts. A small fireball shot from the tip and exploded upon contact with its target, slaying the Heartless. A few skirmishes later, and they arrived at a modest cottage standing in a clearing. However, it was currently surrounded by many Heartless, led by a large, fat, and heavily armored one.

"Jiminy crickets!" Doc exclaims, "I thought I'd stop by our cottage first, but we have unexpected visitors!" He tries to rush into the cottage, but a flying yellow Heartless shoots a bolt of lightning at Doc's feet, forcing him to a halt, "We gotta do somethin' before they dash our gnome-uh, smash our home to smithereens!"

James summons Starlight, "Don't worry, I'll clear them out!" He says.

After slashing through the smaller Heartless with ease, James swung his Keyblade at the Large Body, only for his attack to bounce off without a scratch. The Heartless attempts to slam its hand down at James, but he side-steps to the right to evade. He then strikes a heavy blow to the monster's back, sending it rolling a little ways, before finishing it with a Blizzard.

James recalled his Keyblade and smiled towards Doc, "Ok, that's all of them." He says happily.

Doc jumped for joy at his new friend, "You sure showed them! And our cottage looks just dandy." He says before eyeing the cottage curiously, "I'm gonna pake a teak- uh, take a peek inside to see if anyone's come home." James nods and watches his new friend walk inside.

No sooner than when the door closed, did several more Heartless appear. James dipped into a wider stance, "You guys want another round, do ya?" He says as he summons his Keyblade once more, "Bring it!"

After killing several Shadows and dwarf-ish Heartless, he spotted Chirithy deeper in the forest and recalled his Keyblade as he approached, "Hey Chirithy!" He says as he waves.

Chirithy waves back, "You seem to be doing alright!" He said cheerfully. Chirithy then looked downward, "I can't say the same for the green person you were talking to. He looked pretty worried."

James nodded, "Yeah. He got separated from his friends when the Heartless attacked. I've been trying to help Doc find them."

Chirithy tilted his head for a moment before straightening it again, "I see. I'll leave ya to it then. Good luck Jim!" James smiles and waves his friend goodbye before heading back towards the cottage.

James saw Doc standing outside the door, "What's wrong? Did ya find anyone?" He asks.

Doc looked up, "Oh, am I glad to see you! And-uh, to answer your question, no. The cottage was empty, so I went to check the mine. But another of those crying jeepers-uh, giant creatures showed up again!" He exclaimed.

James was stunned, _"Giant creature? Like the one from Daybreak Town?"_ He thought to himself for a moment.

"I ran as soon as I saw it," Doc continued, "but that solves nuthin'. Could you get rid of him like you did the other one?"

James nodded, "Just lead the way. I'll take care of it!" Doc nodded with a smile as the two ran towards the mine.

They arrived at the entrance, they found it was being blocked by a Large Body Heartless. Having already discovered its weakness, James defeated this one more swiftly than he did the previous one. James smirked as his Keyblade vanished, "That takes care of the roadblock." He says.

Doc chuckles, "I'm righty-uh, lighty-uh, mighty grateful for your help Jim!"

James shakes his head, "My pleasure. Now let's head in and find your other friends."

Doc nods happily, "Maybe the others are back at work." He ponders aloud.

They searched through the mine, and quickly found another Dwarf. This one looking similar to Doc, but without the glasses and had a large smile on his face. Doc jumps, "There you are, Happy!" He says as he walks up to him.

Happy turns to see Doc and replies, "Why, if it ain't Doc! What's wrong? You sure look frazzled." He says.

Doc nods quickly, "Well, a horse- uh, of course! I didn't know where you'd gone!" He says loudly.

Happy tilts his head, his smile never wavering, "Gosh, that all? The mine car broke down and there ain't no other way of getting' back."

Doc let out a breath, "Well, I'm just grateful you're alright." He then looks around, "But where are the rest of the men? Are they around here?"

Happy tilts his head again, "I thought they were with you." He replies. Doc sighs, "Oh dear me... who- uh, where could they have gone?" He asks.

James places his hand on Doc's shoulder, "Don't worry about it. We haven't seen anything down this deep except for him." He says, gesturing to Happy, "I'm sure the others are down here somewhere safe and sound."

Doc smiles, "You're right. Thank you for your help, Jim! I never woulda found Happy here without you."

Happy nods, "You're the one who helped Doc? Gosh, I'm mighty grateful, friend."

James lets out a small laugh, "My pleasure. Just call me Jim."

Happy's smile widens, "Now don't you worry, me and Doc will take it from here."

Doc smiles up at James again, "Good muck- uh, I mean luck with everything."

James nods, "You too, Doc. I hope you find the others soon." And with that, Happy and Doc went off to search for the other dwarves.

Chirithy appeared behind James, "Looks like another satisfied customer!" He says happily.

James laughs, "Don't ya mean my first satisfied customer?" He jokes.

Chirithy laughs as well, "Time to see if you can put your powers to use elsewhere. I'm sure there's someone somewhere who needs help." James nods and uses his Keyblade to open a new gate. He walks through without hesitation.

Ready to face what the next world has in store for him.

(A/N: That's it for this chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it. Lemme know how I'm doing with a Review! Also, be sure to follow this story so you can read the newest chapters as soon as they get posted. Until next time!)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Curious World of Wonderland

James walks through the portal, stunned to see that there is no floor beneath his feet. He is about to scream as he falls, only to find his descent is strangely slow. After only a few moments, he lands safely inside a very curious hallway, "This world is gonna give me a headache." He says to himself, "I can already feel it." He has no more time to ponder this, however, because he is suddenly accosted by a Soldier Heartless.

After defeating the monster, and a few others along the path with relative ease, he moves on to enter a room with multiple different walls, none of which are the same color as the last. There was a small, glass table standing in the very center.

Just beyond the table, James discovers a small door with a most peculiar doorknob. _"It almost looks like it has a face."_ He thinks to himself before kneeling down to get a better look.

The last thing he was expecting, was for the doorknob to look up at him and ask, "Looking for a way out, I suppose."

James, startled by this new discovery, fell backwards into a sitting position, "What the?! You can talk!?" He asks.

The doorknob gives a type of nod, "But of course, I can talk." It replies incredulously, as if the boy should have known this from the beginning. "Anyways, I'm sorry to say, you're much too terribly big. Simply impassable."

James stands up with a sigh, "I don't suppose you'd be willing to offer me directions to a different path then?"

The doorknob hummed, "Hmm... perhaps this will help. A girl visited earlier. Why don't you talk to her? She may have some advice."

James nods, "Sounds good. Which way did she go?"

The doorknob smiles, "Why, on the other side. Naturally."

James scowls at the door, "Then I assume you see why me talking to her isn't an option right now?"

The doorknob nods, "Of course, but there's always another way." He glances past James towards the table, where a small bottle magically appears, "Why don't you try the bottle on the table? Read the directions, and directly you'll be directed in the right direction."

James made a confused expression, _"That is easily the most absurd sentence I have ever heard."_ He lets out a sigh, _"This place just might make me go mad if I'm not careful."_ James thought while twirling Starlight around absentmindedly.

The doorknob breaks James' train of thought, "Wait, you have a key!" He says.

James looks back at the doorknob, "Huh? You mean my Keyblade?" He asks, pointing at the item in question.

The doorknob chuckles lightly, "Well, why didn't you say so? Now all you need-."

Suddenly, a swarm of Heartless burst in from the direction James came from, and snatched the bottle from the table.

The doorknob frowned, "Oh, that's rather unfortunate."

James narrows his eyes, "I'll handle them!"

After a brief skirmish that goes back into the hallway that James entered from, he retrieves the bottle from the Heartless. James then returns to the doorknob, holds up the bottle, reads the label that says "drink me" and holds it to his lips, "Don't try this at home, kids." He mutters to himself before downing the contents of the bottle. Before he knew what was happening, he had shrunk down to the size of the door.

The doorknob nods, "If you should wish to undo things, try the cookie on the table."

James nods, "Can I enter now?" He asks. Doorknob doesn't answer, but opens the door (or himself?) to allow James to go past.

Upon entering a massive forest, James is met by Chirithy, who is shivering. James kneels down to speak with him on eye level, "You alright, Chirithy?" He asks in concern.

Chirithy nods, "Brrr, there's darkness all around! You've got your work cut out for you, kiddo."

James nods, "No doubt about that."

After fighting his way through a, seemingly, endless flow of Heartless, James and Chirithy find themselves on a road that splits in every way imaginable, as well as a few that aren't. James sighed, "This world is starting to wear on me already." He groans.

Chirithy nodded, "That's certainly understandable. This whole world seems like it was made by a young child's imagination." They continue walking until they find a young blonde girl wearing a blue dress.

She turns to see James and does a curtsey, "Why, hello there. My name is Alice. Who might you be?" She asks politely.

James waves, "I'm James, but everyone calls me Jim."

Alice blinked in surprise, "Oh?" She exclaims before smiling widely, "Thank goodness! I was afraid you'd speak in riddles too."

James chuckled, "Nope. I don't think I'm smart enough to do that." He replies.

Alice lets out a sigh of relief, "I don't suppose you've seen a white rabbit, have you? I've been looking for him everywhere."

James shakes his head, "Sorry. Haven't seen him."

Alice nods, "I see. How unfortunate." Alice turns away from James, "Now, where could he have gone?"

At that moment, the two heard a new voice, "I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! No time to say hello, goodbye! I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!" Just then, a fully clothed white rabbit with glasses and a large pocket watch zipped past the two.

Alice points toward where the rabbit was running, "Why, there he is! Wait! Please! Mr. Rabbit!" She says before dashing off.

James tilts her head, "Well this place can't get much weirder." He says to himself.

"Lose something?" Asks a new voice coming from above James, "Your way, perhaps?" James turns around and shouts in shock as a purple striped cat materializes in pieces, "Or an answer? I've lots of those." The cat said.

James looked at the purple cat, still shocked, "Aaaaaand I stand corrected." He grumbles.

The cat, seemingly haven't heard James' comment, continues, "The questions don't matter, of course. All answers here have lots of questions."

James nods slowly, "Thanks for the-uh, the tip... I think I'll be fine." He says before rushing off to find more Heartless.

After defeating more Heartless than James cared to count, he saw Alice, who was looking rather defeated. When James approached her, he asked, "What's the matter?"

Alice turned to him, "I seem to have lost track of the white rabbit. I've no idea which way he's gone. AND I've gotten myself lost... Could you show me the way back to where I was?" She asks pleadingly.

James smiles, "Sure thing. I've got an identic memory, so it's easy for me to retrace my steps. Even in a place as crazy as this one." Alice smiles and follows James back to the Fork in the Road.

Upon returning, Alice smiles at her new friend, "Thank you, Jim! Thank you oh so much." She says before looking around in contemplation, "Perhaps he's gone this way. I'll keep looking." She then walks off in a different direction.

James chuckled, _"She seems to have a one-track mind. Hopefully she won't be attacked by any of the-."_ His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Alice scream. James rushed onto the scene, where a Trickmaster Heartless was waiting for him in front of a small house.

Alice looked at it curiously, "My, the white rabbit has some rather peculiar visitors."

James summons Starlight and assumes his battle stance, "Alice! You need to get back, now!" Alice nods, though confused, and hides in the nearby bushes.

The Trickmaster swung its massive arms at James, who was able to jump over the first one, but was caught off-guard and got knocked to the floor by the second one. The Trickmaster began to spin violently, launching massive flaming boulders towards James. James responded by casting Blizzard on each one, causing them to cool and slow to a stop. He then used the boulders as stepping stones, leaping from one to the other before unleashing a furious barrage on the Heartless' body.

Trickmaster wobbled a bit, its arms swinging violently as it did so, requiring James to dodge them. James grabbed onto one of them as it flew by him and proceeded to run up the length of the arm. James then blasted each of the five heads. Fire, Blizzard, Aero, and Thunder to the four lowest heads. He pushed himself off the beast, launching his body away from it and hurled his Keyblade at the Trickmaster, striking its final head, causing it to topple over. James re-summoned his Keyblade and leaped up, performing a finishing blow (Think Link's downward stab) to the body of the Trickmaster. The Heartless let out a loud cry before vanishing into a black cloud. A large heart floated out from where it once lied and ascended to the sky above them.

Alice walked up James, who had just recalled Starlight, "He's not here either. Oh, where could he have gone?" She asks herself before looking at James, "Well, now that his visitors have left, I can continue my search." She flashes him a wide smile, "Thank you for all your help." She then walks off to continue her search.

James then meets back up with Chirithy, "Look at you!" Chirithy says proudly, "It looks like things are taken care of around here, at least for now."

James nodded, "I'll be honest, though. I'm not looking forward to coming back here..." He groans, nursing an injured shoulder.

Chirithy tilts his head, "Are you ok? You got hit pretty good in that last fight."

James smiles, "No worries. A few minutes of rest, and I'll be right as rain. I've always been a fast healer."

Chirithy nods happily, "Then let's see if there's anyone else who needs a hand."

James nods, "Right." James then opens a new portal and walks through it, genuinely curious where his adventures will take him next.

(A/N: That's it for this chapter! I hope you have enjoyed the story thus far. If you have, lemme know what you liked by leaving a review. If you have suggestions, shoot me a PM. I'm always open to new ideas. Be sure to favorite and follow this story so you can stay up to date with Jim's epic adventure.)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Heartless Havoc in Agrabah

James exits the portal and finds himself in a desert with nothing but sand in every direction. Before he can comment on this new world, he sees a man in rags unconscious. James ran over to him, "Hey, wake up! Are you alright, guy?" He asks. The man groans and opens his eyes slowly. James smiles, "Good to see you're alive, are you alright?" He asks as he helps the stranger up.

The man nods, "Phew, thanks!" He tells James, "I'd have been in real trouble if you hadn't come along. By the way, my name's Aladdin."

James smiles, "I'm James, but you can call me Jim."

Aladdin looks James up and down, "I don't think I've seen you around before. You're not from here, are you?" James sweats slightly. He remembered something that Chirithy told him while they were walking through Wonderland.

_Flashback_

_ "Keep different worlds a secret?" He asks his smaller friend. _

_Chirithy nodded, "That's right. While you're in other worlds, you can't let others know that you're from another world. The world order must be protected." _

_James tilts his head, "But why? What exactly is the World Order?" _

_Chirithy floats up in front of him, "That's actually a good question. Ya see, Jim, every world is defined by its particular boundaries, within which some understanding of reality emerges as truth." Chirithy lands back on the ground as he looks up at his friend, "Two truths cannot coexist, and so from the introduction of foreign bodies is conflict and chaos spawned. That's why you must limit your involvement in local affairs." _

_James nods, "That's a heck of a lot of info, but I'll do my best."_

_Flashback End_

James nods, "I'm a traveler, trying to help people out when I find some."

Aladdin hums, "Well, you should probably go home. Or at least not towards the city." He says, pointing behind him, "There's these strange monsters running around there, so it's not safe."

James shakes his head, "You must mean the Heartless. Let me help, I'm more than capable of fighting them. You just sit tight here, I'll let you know when the coast is clear."

Aladdin shakes his head slowly, "I can't just stay here; I have to go back." He says firmly, "Agrabah's my home. If I don't protect it, who will?" He looks James square in the eye, "Thanks for offering, but this is our problem to fix. Promise me you'll go home, okay?" Aladdin then rushes towards Agrabah without seeing if James would answer.

Chirithy materializes beside James, "You didn't say yes, did you?"

James smirks at Chirithy, "Of course not! Aladdin has good intentions, but he can't fight an entire city of Heartless. Let's go see what we can do to help!"

Chirithy nods, silently thinking, _"He hasn't been doing this for very long, and already he's matured so much. This one has so much potential. I hope he unlocks it before it's too late." _

James rushed through the desert, slashing his way through every Heartless he encountered along the way. At the gate, he was greeted by three floating Heartless; red, blue and yellow, as well as a Soldier. James spun himself rapidly and cleared all four of them at once.

There, he found Aladdin again, who was about to flanked by a Shadow. "Watch out!" He called out before intercepting the Heartless, slashing it with his Keyblade.

Aladdin looked in shock at James, "Jim? You're still here!?"

James nods, "If people need my help, I'm not backing away. There's no shame in accepting help from a friend."

Aladdin sighs before smiling, "Well, I guess it's too late to turn back now. Just...be careful." He then looks out and surveys the town, "It's weird. Agrabah's like a ghost town. Everyone got scared and left."

James' expression turned grim, _"Or worse..."_ He thinks, remembering Chirithy's explanation of the Heartless.

Aladdin jerks his head towards James, "Hey, Jim! I've got an idea. The palace guards always know what's going on. But you'll have to ask them yourself. They... well, let's just say they're not my biggest fans."

James nods, "Ok, I'll work with the guards to clear the city, you see if you can find where everyone is and make sure they're safe."

Aladdin smiles, "Sounds good! Let's do it!"

As James fought his way through the Bandit Heartless, he discovered a slim man with a large curved sword, "Hey!" He shouts, getting the man's attention, "I've been helping clear out the monsters in town. Do you know where any more of them might be hiding?"

The tall man turns to James and points to a nearby building, "I hear strange noises coming from the storehouse. With all the monsters around, I can't help but think it's one of them..." He says morbidly.

James nods, "Ok, I'll check it out." He says before walking towards the building. Upon entering, he was surrounded by Bandit Heartless. James quickly blocked and parried the flurry of blades that were coming at him. He slowly picked them off, one by one, until he had slain the last of them.

James emerged from the storehouse and is approached by the same guard. "So, it really was one of those monsters." He says.

James tilts his head, "More like ten or so monsters. But there's none anymore." James tells him.

The guard nods, "You did a great job. The townspeople can rest easy now."

Chirithy appeared behind James, "You've done really well lately. Better than most at your level." He tells his friend.

James chuckles, "Nah. It's nothing that someone else wouldn't be able to do. Besides, I haven't really done much other than pushing back the Heartless." He tells Chirithy.

The little creature jumps into the air, "It may not seem like much on its own, but believe me, it's more important than it seems. Every time the Heartless are defeated, the world becomes that much safer from the darkness."

James sighs, "Yeah, but for how long? These things pop up out of nowhere, so what's to stop them from coming back?" He asks.

Chirithy looks downward, "Nothing I'm afraid. So long as there is light, there shall always be darkness to threaten it." Chirithy then looks up towards James again, "But that's why there are people like you, Jim! The Keyblade gives you the power to protect the worlds from falling into darkness."

James smiles as he raises his Starlight high into the air, "Guess that makes having a Keyblade be pretty special, huh?"

Chirithy nods, "That's right! You've been given a great honor."

James nods, "Then I'll work hard to be worthy of it." He says before walking back into the streets of Agrabah.

As he leaves, Chirithy smiles, "You already are. You just don't see it, yet."

(A/N: That's it for this Chapter! I'm gonna say now that I've decided to make this book much shorter than I originally intended, simply because it's already covered the majority of what needs to be known. Don't worry, there's still gonna be more to come after this. I'd love to hear your opinions and brainstorm. You'll get credit, of course, and I may even call on you for future works, who knows? If ya like what you're seeing, then let me know in a review. If James' story is becoming one of your favorites, then be sure to follow, so you can get the latest updates right when they happen! Until next time!)


	5. Finale

Chapter 5: The First Keyblade War

(A/N: This chapter is a time skip to the very end of the Union Cross game with my own twist on it. I honestly didn't feel it necessary to include the entirety of events in game. Especially since it's so freaking long. Either way, this book is just the precursor. The following books will be much more involved than this one was. Thank you for your understanding, you guys are awesome.)

_"I thought I knew."_ Jim thought as he clashed his Keyblade against the Keyblade of another wielder, _"I thought I knew the whole story."_ He cut the wielder down and walked down, what used to be, the streets of Daybreak Town. Now all that remains is a desolate wasteland covered in war.

"_Ephemir. It all started when I met him."_ He continued while battling wielder after wielder. _"Ever since we tried to sneak into that tower, nothing was the same."_

He recalled when he and Skuld discovered the threat of the Keyblade War-which Jim was currently in the middle of- from Master Ava, leader of the Vulpes Union.

"_I thought I was doing the right thing!"_ He screamed in his mind as he cut down another wielder. _"I thought we were all on the same side!"_

Then another. _"I thought we were supposed to fight against the darkness!"_

He cut down two more. Recognizing each of the six he just recently defeated as the friends that helped him defeat the Darkside when he first got Starlight.

He looked at his blade in anger, _"Look around! Darkness is all that's left!"_ He couldn't think any longer on this, as he was suddenly attacked by Aced, Foreteller of the Ursus Union. He fought as hard as he could, but his strength simply wasn't enough to compete with a Keyblade Master.

Aced struck James to the floor and, just as he was about to be struck down, Master Ava rushed forward, and took the blow for James. Aced had no time to react to this sudden development, as he was attacked by another Foreteller.

James rushed over to Ava, "Master! Are you ok?" He asks with concern.

She turns her head and smiles weakly, "Good…...I'm glad I…... arrived…...in…time…."

Tears began to fall down James' face, "Why Master? Why did you save me?" He asks hysterically.

Ava removes her mask, giving him full view of her face for the first time in the years he has fought under her flag, "Because… you are the only one… who is seeing beyond this battle… you must live… and prove…... the prophecy… wrong…." She offered him one final sad smile, before vanishing into light.

Anger and sorrow overwhelming him, James grips his Keyblade and charges into a blind rush, "This war ends now!" He screams as he deals several blows and launches countless spells at the other Keyblade wielders, enduring blows all the while.

"_People are suffering! An entire world has been destroyed! If this continues, darkness will consume everything! I have to stop this war now before any more damage can be done! No matter what happens to me! I have to try!"_

Hours later, and the roar of battle has been silenced. Broken and battered Keyblades decorate the wasteland. James stands weakly, using Starlight for support, as he grieves all he has done. Tears pour down his face, his cries of sorrow echoing throughout. He is then approached by Chirithy.

The Dream Eater that was assigned to him, and his only remaining friend. He looked up at James, "Jim…... are you ok?" He asked.

James sighed and wiped the tears from his eyes, "I am a monster." He says, "I killed two thousand, seven hundred, and twenty-nine wielders." He lets out a shaky breath, "And I knew the names of each and every one of them…."

Chirithy placed his paw on James' leg, "None of this is your fault. We were lied to."

James looked at the Dream Eater, "What do you mean?" He asks. Chirithy lowered his head, "I discovered that the prophecy of a traitor was false. By the time I learned…. It was too late." He said sadly.

James lets out a laugh.

Not a happy laugh.

Not an empty laugh.

It was the laugh of a man who has been thoroughly broken.

"Damn it all." He mutters. "This means that everything I've done…. has been for nothing." He looked at Chirithy with tired eyes, "Forgive me, little friend. I wish I could do something to preserve you."

Chirithy's head bolted upward, "What?! What do you mean?"

Starlight suddenly disappeared and James collapsed to his hands and knees, "But I'm afraid my time is up." He then falls completely, eyes closed, body motionless.

"_Ephemir. Skuld. You have to lead the Dandelions. Protect the worlds from the darkness. Succeed, where I have failed. Please."_ He inhales deeply, _"I'm so sorry."_ He exhales.

Chirithy weeps for the loss of his friend, in what little time he has left to do so, until he senses a presence. He turns and discovers a man dressed in a black coat, his face covered by the hood.

"He's not dead, ya know." The man tells Chirithy.

The Dream Eater bounces slightly, "What? But, but he's not moving!"

The man scoffs, "You think the likes of this is enough to destroy a heart as strong as his?" He then summons a Keyblade that Chirithy doesn't recognize, but knows all the same. "Wait…. Aren't you Lu-." Chirithy is interrupted when the man points the Keyblade at him and James. A small beam is fired and hits Chirithy. Chirithy then transforms into a flower bulb-like pod. The man lowers his Keyblade, "As if." He states before picking up James' body and places it inside the pod.

Centuries pass, and we move to the Land of Departure, where Keyblade Master Eraqus trains his two pupils, Aqua and Terra, who eagerly train in their adolescent youth.

One day, while Eraqus is in his chamber, he senses the Dark Corridor open and calls upon his Keyblade as the black coat wearing man walked through. Eraqus eyed the stranger, "Who are you? What business have you with this world?"

The stranger did not react physically, "I bring someone in need of a Master." He then summons the pod that James has been sleeping inside of, "He has been asleep in this pod for generations. His time of awakening is close at hand." After that, the man disappears.

The man travels the wilderness of an unnamed world. He looks to the sky, thoughts of the boy he saved from the Keyblade Graveyard fresh on his mind, "May your heart be your guiding key."

Eraqus eyed the pod curiously, startling slightly when it began to open. James' limp body began to fall, but Eraqus quickly caught the boy before he could do so.

James groaned before opening his eyes, "What…. where am I?" He asks groggily.

Eraqus placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder, "Peace young man. We both have many questions, but they can wait until you have regained your strength."

James nodded, "Ok, because I have about a million and one answers. Starting with this thing." He then summons Starlight into his hand.

Eraqus is shocked to see the Keyblade, especially with such a unique design, _"This boy… Just who is he? What more could destiny have in store for him?"_

(A/N: And that's it for this story! I know, I know. It's not how it happened at the end of Union Cross, especially with Ava. I know that. But the whole point of this saga that I'm making, is to re-write the story ever so slightly, meaning there are going to be alternate happenings. Also, to give you a better feel for Jim's age, during this story, he was about the same age as Sora is in KH1 and Chain of Memories. This book is actually much shorter than I initially intended, but I'm glad I did it this way. This section of the timeline has very little to contribute to the KH story, aside from an explanation to the Keyblade Graveyard. So, I didn't feel the need to put so much focus on it. The remaining books in this series, however, will be much longer and more involved. See what happens next time, when James struggles to allow himself new friends in the form of Terra and Aqua, as well as how he responds to Ventus when he arrives. These answers and more can be found in the next book: The Redemption!)


End file.
